Most fire trucks include a firefighting monitor usually mounted on the deck of the truck, which can be used to fight large building or high-rise fires, or in other situations in which a large amount of water pressure is needed. A firefighting monitor is a conduit that is supplied with fluid (usually water) at the inlet and has a nozzle at the discharge end. The monitor's primary purpose is to allow the pressurized fluid exiting the nozzle to be redirected in both elevation and azimuth angles and then remain pointed at the desired target. Firefighting monitors can be mounted anywhere on the fire truck deck, but they are most commonly mounted behind the cab. As fire trucks become larger and include more equipment, it has become difficult to mount the firefighting monitor in a position such that no part of the truck interferes with the flow of water from the firefighting monitor. In response to this problem, hydraulic and manual firefighting monitor lifts have been manufactured. These lifts are mounted directly on the fire truck, and can be used to raise and lower the firefighting monitor in order to clear the high points of the truck. However, there are numerous problems with existing manual and hydraulic lifts.
Manual lifts are dangerous because they require the firefighter to climb onto the deck of the fire truck. In winter, this is particularly dangerous, since the truck deck may be icy. Fire truck decks can sit as high as nine feet off of the ground. Therefore, the potential for serious injury to the firefighter is great in this situation. Moreover, in order to raise the manual lift, the firefighter must be able to unlatch the locking mechanism that secures the firefighting monitor in place with one hand, and lift the firefighting monitor at the same time with the other hand. Once the manual lift has been fully raised, it can be locked into position. Then, to lower the manual lift, the firefighter must reverse the process. If the firefighter is for any reason unable to support the entire weight of the firefighting monitor after unlatching the device for lowering, the firefighting monitor can fall abruptly and cause injury to the firefighter. Additionally, existing manual lifts may only be used in either the fully extended or the fully retracted positions. They may not be used in intermediate positions.
Like the manual lifts, hydraulic lifts can only be used in either the fully extended or the fully retracted positions. They can also become stuck in these positions. If the hydraulics break down when the firefighting monitor is retracted, the firefighting monitor cannot be raised until the problem is fixed. Typically, this renders the firefighting monitor useless, since it was most likely installed to increase the height of the firefighting monitor to avoid some obstruction on the truck itself. Similarly, if the hydraulics break down when the firefighting monitor is in the extended position, the problem may have to be fixed before the fire truck can be pulled back into the firehouse garage. If the hydraulics break down when the firefighting monitor is somewhere in between the fully extended and retracted positions, the firefighting monitor could either be stuck in that position, or it may rapidly or slowly return to its retracted position. Many hydraulic lifts also develop leaks over time, making the entire system less effective or inoperable. The present invention seeks to solve these and other problems.